Jane Goodall is a world-renowned activist for the rights, health, research, and protection of chimpanzees. In Ron Arias' profile of Ms. Goodall she is quoted as saying, "...Shouldn't we try to help these creatures who can't speak for themselves and who are so much like us?"
This quote, I believe, resonates with the values and beliefs of those within the Haitian relief work community. Though the chimpanzees in question are viewed as mere animals in the sight of many people or just plain overlooked, Goodall encourages them to pay closer attention; they are more than just animals, and deserve to be helped. They can't speak for themselves, so it is up to us to help them.
In a similar vein, the people of Haiti are often viewed as statistics, and their needs are often overlooked by much of the outside world not living in comparable conditions to what the Haitians endure. They can't do much to help their situation (due to the country's extremely corrupted government, lack of resources, and widespread poverty), but they deserve to be helped as well. However, as in the situation Goodall is trying to highlight, it is up to us to help build up the Haitian people.
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